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Difference Between Utah Prison and Federal Prison

What is the Difference Between Federal Prison and Utah State Prison?

Prisons are detention facilities that hold and rehabilitate offenders before their reintegration into society. There are several disparities between federal prisons and Utah state prisons. The differences are primarily centered on management, purposes, holding capacity, security provision, and sentence length. The United States of America oversees several prison facilities through the Department of Justice tally with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Utah prison facilities are under the state's jurisdiction and run by the Utah Department of Corrections. Federal prisons incarcerate offenders guilty of crimes like drug trafficking, piracy, treason, fraud, counterfeiting, and other crimes that violate federal laws. Utah state prisons host prisoners who committed theft, assault and battery, unlawful gun possession, and driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI).

Generally, the severity of the violation of federal laws attracts longer sentences and more grievous punishments as offenders may be sentenced to over ten years imprisonment. This duration is different for Utah state prisons because, after rehabilitation, re-entry into society follows suit. The infrastructure for detention provided by the state can only cater to the security and welfare of a minimal number of inmates, unlike federal prisons with facilities across the country and adequate provisions for maximum protection, health care, and inmates' overall upkeep.

Interested parties can look up inmates in federal holding facilities online through the Federal Bureau of Prisons by providing necessary information about the convict. For state prisons, requesters can use the Utah Department of Corrections Offender Search Tool.

The Utah Prison System

In Utah, the prisons, activities, and rehabilitation programs are the Utah Department of Corrections' responsibility. In this state, there are only two prison facilities:

Utah State Prison

Draper prison 14425
Bitterbrush Lane Draper, Utah 84020
Phone: (801) 576- 7000
Mailing address: Utah State Prison
P.O. Box 250
Draper, UT 84020

Gunnison prison

Gunnison prison 255 East 300 North
Gunnison, Utah 84634
Phone number (435) 528- 6000
Mailing address: CUCF
P.O. Box 550
Gunnison, UT 84634

The Utah state prison holds approximately 4,000 inmates of different gender, while the Gunnison facility can house 1600 inmates. According to incarceration statistics, the average prison admission totals 3,798, with counties like salt-lake, Weber, Utah, Davis, Washington, Tooele, carbon, Duchesne, Uintah, iron ranking as top 10 of the 29 counties present in Utah. Other reports reveal that African Americans make up 7% of the ethnicity for prison incarceration as native Americans, Latins, whites, and Asians record 5%, 20%, 64%, and 1% each.

How to Lookup Inmates in Utah

Interested individuals can obtain Utah inmate records and offenders' information in active detention using the Utah Department of Corrections offender search tool. Users must input the first name, middle name, and last name or search by offender number. After a search is complete, the results will contain information particular to the detention facility, offense, and sentence duration.

Parties who wish to send money to an inmate in prison can:

  • Contact the service provider contracted for this purpose, fill out the payment form and mail it back.
  • Visit the kiosk in the visiting areas and make payment via debit or credit card.

Note that a donation made electronically attracts a $3 fee per transaction. Parties should send donations to the inmate's mailing address to include the prisoner's name and identification number. For book donations, magazines, and music, family members can purchase such through the prison commissary and fill out a magazine subscription with the inmate's details, offender number, and facility address.

Utah County Jails

In Utah, county jails are institutions created to hold offenders of municipal and state laws until a court adjudicates and decides if the offender is guilty or not. When declared guilty, the offender is likely to be transferred to a maximum facility or serve community punishment. County jails operate under the administration of the locality via an elected sheriff. In Utah, there are 19 county jails in total. However, these facilities can only house a small number of inmates and provide health, security, and overall welfare.

In 2015, counties like Utah, salt lake, Weber, Davis, Washington, Uintah, cache, summit, Duchesne, and Millard recorded the highest county jail admissions in the state with a minimum of 2,294 incarcerations and a maximum of 36,016, making Utah rank 6th in the hierarchy for jail admissions in the United States of America. The population is approximately 6% African American, 68% white, 2% Asian, 20% Latin and 4% Native American.

Interested individuals can inquire about an inmate by paying a visit to the sheriff's department in the locality where the conviction occurred. Inquirers must provide reasonable details about the said offender and a means of identification. Also, most Utah counties manage a webpage that grants access to prisoners' details after satisfying the required procedures.

Inmates can receive funds from family, friends, and the public. Donations in cash can be made at the jail's reception, via money order, or through the mail. Donors can also send books and packages via mail.

How Does the Federal Prison System Work?

In the United States of America, the federal prison system is under the Department of Justice jurisdiction and managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. According to the population statistics, there are over 152,174 inmates behind bars in federal facilities. In 2020, the Federal Bureau of Prisons recorded more prison admissions in 122 facilities. The branches of federal prisons in the United States are:

  • Federal Correctional Institutions
  • The United States Penitentiaries
  • Private Correctional Institutions
  • Administrative facilities
  • Federal prison camps
  • Federal correctional complexes
  • Former federal facilities.

Federal correctional institutions (FCCs) provide correctional programs and detention for federal law offenders as Private Correctional Institutions (PCIs) are private bodies contracted to offer the same services. Federal Correctional Complexes (FCCs) consist of four facilities holding 7,120 inmates with adequate prison personnel and high-security levels. Administrative Facilities are different in terms of purpose because they oversee inmates' treatment with serious medical issues and hold offenders who are violent and prone to escape. The facilities managed by the United States of America are located in several states across the country. Nevertheless, citizens can search for the Federal Bureau of Prisons website locations either by state, by name, or on the map.